Senator Rivera on Federal Relief to Wealthy Private Hospitals

  "I am outraged that the Trump Administration allocated the lion's share of the first round of federal funding to the wealthiest private hospitals in New York, neglecting the needs of less financially stable providers that are serving the hardest-hit communities. New York City's public hospital system received less than half of what well-resourced hospital systems received. Especially in times of crisis, government must manage resources and distribute taxpayer funds responsibly, yet this funding allocation failed to do either.

Furthermore, it is inexplicable, and particularly merciless, to allocate twice the per capita funding to providers in states like Wyoming and South Dakota that have a small percentage of the total cases that New York faces as the epicenter of the crisis. This administration is politicizing a national emergency by handing out pork to states with less urgent needs before supporting states who are losing thousands of lives to this crisis.

New York's safety net hospitals are facing financial ruin as they remain dedicated to caring for the communities most devastated by this pandemic, which are primarily low-income communities of color. COVID-19 has ravaged these communities in large part because of how inadequately our system funds healthcare. We cannot allow for so-called relief to perpetuate the same disparities. I urge New York's federal leaders to ensure that all future funding is prioritized and directed to accurately reflect the need that this global crisis has exacerbated."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We agree with Senator Rivera on this issue, but wonder why the good senator has been so quiet on the way his district and the rest of the Bronx has been shortchanged by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

One can only think that Senator Rivera may try to become Bronx Borough President Gustavo Rivera much like he had hopes of becoming Congressman Gustavo Rivera before he gave that poor choice up. Does he not want to fight for the people of his district and the Bronx or does he not want to get people angry in doing the job he is suppose to do, fighting for the people and not looking for his next higher office.